Chapter 19: Madness Befits a Prince

As expected, this energy Lin saw—this spiritual energy—was clearly having some profound effect on the world.

Hyeonwol, with an interested expression, fell into thought and unconsciously took out his pipe.

But he soon made an “oh no” face and had to put the pipe away.

He belatedly remembered that the tobacco he had carried was all used up.

Lin, who had been watching him from the side, narrowed her eyes.

“As expected, that’s pain relief, right?”

“Tobacco has always been life’s pain relief.”

“That’s not what I mean, that’s really medicinal herbs!

It’s not actually narcotic, is it?”

“How did you know that?”

“It really is narcotic?!”

“No, no!

Yes.

It is medicinal herbs.

It’s not narcotic!

Calm down!”

Like former Koreans, they were sensitive to the word narcotic.

Even in this world where opium wasn’t particularly treated as illegal, for some reason the word narcotic deeply pricked their consciences.

The two, who had been huffily confronting each other for a moment, finally calmed down at Hyeonwol’s excuse and reached a lull.

“Would I do something that would ruin my body even more?

It’s not the addictive kind, so don’t worry.”

“Hmm….

Even so.”

“Come to think of it, it’s about time for the delivery person to arrive….

Ah, here he comes.”

Delivery person?

Lin, spotting a tall young man striding over from where Hyeonwol had turned his head, unconsciously let out an exclamation.

Having stayed at Wolsigak and faced Hyeonwol’s appearance day after day without yet fully adapting, this newly appeared beauty was enough to stimulate her vision in a different way.

He was a young man characterized by relatively light-colored hair and eyes.

Suddenly reading familiarity in that face, Lin stared at Hyeonwol with a ‘surely not’ expression.

Light amber eyes of the same color curved in a smile.

“We look quite alike, don’t we?

He’s my cousin.”

“Ah.

If he’s my lord’s cousin….”

“A-hwi.

What are you doing over there?”

Laughing heartily as he crossed the courtyard, the approaching figure was Hyeonwol’s maternal cousin, Seonu Hae.

With the status of the Empress’s nephew, he had broad connections in the martial world and was also an unprecedented rising star personally taken as a disciple by the head of the Sichuan Tang Family, a renowned master of the orthodox sect.

After some time had passed, he had now even made a name for himself on the martial world’s master list.

Of course, as long as Seol Cheon-yu existed in this world, he couldn’t compare, but considering his young age, it was extremely impressive.

Seonu Hae was also playing a significant role as a bridge between Wolsigak and the Sichuan Tang Family.

He most frequently carried out Hyeonwol’s personal requests, and today as well, he had come to secretly deliver several medicinal herbs Hyeonwol had requested.

The Tang Family was famous not only for hidden weapon techniques but also for their formidable reputation in poison-based martial arts.

Naturally, they were knowledgeable about all kinds of poisonous and medicinal herbs, and Seonu Hae could easily obtain them on his own, but the process of transporting them to Wolsigak was too uneasy to entrust to others, so he often personally handled the delivery.

Hyeonwol, smiling broadly as he brushed off his black robe from the rock he’d been sitting on, warmly welcomed his cousin.

“A-hae.

Why are you so late?

My sworn younger brother will be back soon.

Hurry up and hand over the goods and leave.”

“…What, a guest arrives and immediately gets told to leave….

Do you think Sichuan is the neighborhood next door?!

I came as fast as possible.

By the way, sworn younger brother?”

Seonu Hae, with an aggrieved face, hurriedly rummaged through the baggage he’d brought.

Hyeonwol replied with a calm smile.

“There is.

Tall, good-looking… devoted to his sworn brother.

Actually, I don’t really know his personality yet, but his martial arts are strong.”

“Having a sworn younger brother like that, you’re blessed.

But why would you kick out your perfectly fine cousin?

Not even introducing us.”

“I wasn’t finished.

One more thing to add—he’s the head of the Demonic Cult.”

“…De…demonic cult leader? …The Heavenly Demon?”

Hyeonwol nodded.

Seonu Hae, even letting go of the baggage he’d been rummaging through, stared blankly at his cousin.

Seonu Hae roughly knew that the target Hyeonwol was investigating was the Blood Cult, and since the representative force opposing them was the Demonic Cult, he had guessed that someday they would form an alliance, setting aside the orthodox-demonic conflict.

He had guessed, but…….

This suddenly?

And moreover, sworn brothers?!

Seonu Hae sufficiently conveyed with just his expression: ‘You’ve really gone and done it now.’

Hyeonwol, finding it absurd, just shrugged.

Seonu Hae, having turned pale, hurriedly tossed several bundles next to Hyeonwol and stood up.

“I wondered what scheme you were cooking up in the martial world.

Oh dear, His Highness my cousin has truly gone mad.

I’ll get out of here quickly.

Take care, Gyeonghui!”

“Wait, wait.

You have to explain the herbs before you go.

What if you just leave like this?”

Seonu Hae, who had even abandoned his affectionate nickname and was about to hurriedly turn away, had to groan and turn back at Hyeonwol’s grabbing words.

Seeing Hyeonwol beaming as if thoroughly enjoying himself, he lamented that his cousin’s troublesome disease had flared up and quickly grabbed each bundle, hurriedly explaining.

“This herb here is the one you always request, and the one next to it is the newly requested item this time.

By the way, are you planning to make someone suffer?

They’re herbs, but they’re almost used as poison.

Where on earth are you using this much?

Anyway, that’s it, right?

Then I’ll be going now….

Ah, come to think of it, who is this young lady?”

Seonu Hae seemed to have just then noticed Lin, who was wearing Wolsigak member robes and quietly shining her eyes beside Hyeonwol.

As he turned his head, though tired, with as much warmth as possible, Hyeonwol opened his mouth with the same brazen expression.

“Oh, maintaining courtesy even in the midst of things—a model young master from a proper noble family.

This is Lin….”

“Haha, hello.

Young Master Seonu !

I’ve heard much of your reputation!”

“…She was a Blood Cult spy who defected to Wolsigak’s side.”

“Haha, I was a Blood Cultist.

I’m embarrassed!”

At that, Seonu Hae, whose face had again drained of blood, hurriedly bowed perfunctorily and quickly retreated backward, disappearing.

His speed was truly remarkable.

The Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult—what on earth is my cousin up to?!

As Seonu Hae vanished in an instant using extreme lightness techniques, Lin watched him with wistful eyes and grinned.

“He’s fun to tease.”

“Right?

You’ll see him often from now on, so feel at ease with him.”

The lord and retainer pair laughed wickedly.

***

“Has Young Master Seonu already left?”

“Ah, Kang Ryun.”

After Seonu Hae came like a gentle breeze and left like a storm, Hyeonwol, having also parted from Lin, stopped by the office in Wolsigak’s outer courtyard to review the accumulated agenda.

Kang Ryun, who had been away for a while, returned and asked about Seonu Hae, who was scheduled to visit today.

Hyeonwol answered casually.

“He said Seol Cheon-yu would be back soon, so he left immediately.

It’s too late to go straight to Sichuan, so he’ll probably stay at the National Uncle’s residence and return.”

“I can guess that you harshly told him to leave.

Though Young Master Seonu is better known in the martial world as a figure of the Tang Family, he is still Her Majesty the Empress’s nephew.

Wouldn’t it be problematic if the Heavenly Demon interrogated him about his relationship with you?”

“That’s true.

We could say he visited Wolsigak to deliver items under orders from my superior, but our faces are too similar.”

“…Superior?

Who is this superior you keep bringing up?”

“Well, is there any other name to sell out besides His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Hyeonwol, with a brazen face, playfully smiled and flipped through books, and Kang Ryun, with a fed-up expression, just sighed.

For the three years since Hyeonwol handed the crown prince position to Hyeon-gyeom, he had consistently acted as if it were a relief.

Kang Ryun found this understandable yet strange.

Could he really be so relieved to be free of responsibility even though his younger brother had become his superior?

Even with a mindset detached from the world, could one so easily let go of attachment to the position above all others?

Not knowing that Hyeonwol had already experienced being emperor once, others naturally thought differently.

“Come to think of it, my lord.

Have you contacted His Highness the Crown Prince?

My cousin Huiseo surely would have delivered the message.”

“…….”

Hyeonwol, while pretending to maintain his previous calm demeanor, fell silent.

Kang Ryun opened his mouth with an incredulous expression.

“It’s been five days and you still haven’t contacted him?

Why?

Are you scared of getting scolded by His Highness the Crown Prince again?”

“No, you really have no qualms about what you say to me now.

Who’s scared of whom?”

Hyeonwol laughed dejectedly, as if hearing something absurd.

But even as he put his pipe in his mouth, his gaze wandered as if he felt guilty.

Kang Ryun, with his usual irreverent attitude, began pecking at Hyeonwol.

“Well, wasn’t it when you went down to Sichuan saying you’d seek cooperation from the Tang Family head, ran into bandits, and came back covered in blood?

His Highness the Crown Prince, who had been anxiously waiting, kept you for a full two hours.

I know you’ve started hiding things from His Highness whenever you go out since then.

This time, without proper preparation, you ran into the Heavenly Demon alone, so you’d have even less to say.”

“…Ha, is any of that something I could control?

Honestly.

It’s not like I’m a fortune teller or have clairvoyance.

There have always been many things that didn’t go as planned, but recently my situation has made me even less trustworthy.”

Unable to refute Kang Ryun’s words, Hyeonwol grumbled with a dissatisfied face.

Of course, Hyeonwol knew better than anyone that Hyeon-gyeom’s nagging wasn’t blaming him for incompetence.

It was closer to pure worry about his older brother’s safety, earnestly pleading that even when going out, he act cautiously.

Hyeon-gyeom was someone who couldn’t reproach anyone, least of all Hyeonwol.

From early childhood, Hyeon-gyeom had straightly followed, watching Hyeonwol’s back.

To Hyeon-gyeom, Hyeonwol was like an unclimbable mountain and a solid fortress—an object of respect and admiration.

It’s just that recently Hyeonwol hasn’t been as robust as before, so Hyeon-gyeom can no longer purely trust in his safety.

So Kang Ryun also knew that Hyeonwol’s excuses were just words to overcome awkwardness.

As Kang Ryun narrowed his eyes further, Hyeonwol frowned and quickly changed the subject.